I travel. A lot. Most of it for work, but sometimes, for myself. When I came home from my most recent trip, my Jane was clearly ill. And it turns out that her issue would have been completely preventable if I had been home more…and perhaps paid better attention when I was.

See, Jane is polydactyl, and the claws on one paw had grown into her pad, necessitating stitches. And a big ugly bandage. And meds. Lots of meds. Bad mommy missed it. Bad mommy thought everything was fine because whenever she was home, Jane came over purring and wanted to cuddle.

And bad mommy was wrong. Once it was clear that Jane would recover, I spiraled into a major funk, wondering how it could possibly be fair for me to have not one, but two, cats, when I am out of town part of almost every week most months. Plus, even when I am here, I am out of the apartment a minimum of 13 hours most days. So what right do I have to have pets? Clearly, I can’t take care of them properly. And so on – you get the picture.

Yes, I got over it. Both Jane and Nutley are rescues, and I know, in my heart, that I take great care of them, and that they are happy with me. I remembered that these things happen to all parents, of human and of animal children.

So, what’s the big lesson? You can decide for yourself. I’m just going to keep a closer eye on Jane’s paws.